Dashboard > Template > scroll down slightly and pick one of the Dynamic views.

The widgets in the sidebar may shift around slightly but you can add and remove basic ones back on the Dashboard > Layout section. They will appear in a slide-out on the right hand side.

Posting and updating and scheduling is done in exactly the same way. The only thing I'd recommend is to keep your Post Titles short so they don't overlap and if you use one of the photo-heavy layouts to make sure there's an image in each post or it won't display on the front page.

Dynamic views are fab to display content in unusual ways. I'd say it's the closest step that Blogger has made towards interesting layouts in a long time. I've used them for my www.askablogger.co.uk website (my Cybher presentation).

Dynamic views was created to increase loading time and make it easier on the eye. Having that type of template is much kinder on your reader's download time. Is the background a crucial part of the blog?